MOORHEAD — Every few years a genius in Moorhead government will float the idea of closing one of the city’s publicly owned golf courses. It’s usually somebody from one of two camps: A libertarian who doesn’t believe the government should fund anything or a lefty who believes closing a golf course will save the world.
Funny how it’s Village Green Golf Course or the Meadows Golf Course, two of the few entities in Moorhead that draw people from across the Red River, that are always in the crosshairs of the geniuses. Funny how it’s never the Hjemkomst Center or the pool or the miles and miles of trails — all of which are tremendous assets to Moorhead, but all of which cost taxpayers money.
The latest antagonist in this lefty culture war is City Councilwoman Deb White, who has over the years raised the idea of closing all or part of one of the golf courses in Moorhead to save money.
because “things are tough, and maybe this isn’t the year to subsidize golf.”
Putting aside the fact that not spending $110,000 on golf is going to have zero impact on the price of beef and gas, perhaps White could explain why this would be the year to subsidize, say, the Hjemkmost if things are tough. If we’re talking government subsidies, let’s talk government subsidies.
A quick aside to be up-front. I am an avid user of Moorhead’s public golf courses and have been for more than three decades, the amount of time I’ve been a homeowner and taxpayer in Moorhead.
So, yes I’m biased. Very biased. I am also very obviously a Democrat. Bleeding heart and all.
But even if I wasn’t, this isn’t tough to figure out. The golf courses, like the sport or not, are an amenity in a small city that, frankly, doesn’t have many aside from, ahem, publicly subsidized parks and recreation. So do all those publicly subsidized pools, trails and programs need to be profitable, or just golf?
How about that gorgeous new library (which I use)? How does that balance sheet look?
Golf is the easy, lazy target because it’s viewed as the villainous rich-guy sport. Judge Smails from “Caddyshack” and all that. If you’ve spent any time at Village Green or the Meadows, you’re going to see as many backwards caps and Busch Lights as WE Fest.
Keep your mitts off the golf courses. Worry about the fire department or all the empty store fronts and strip malls around Moorhead.
Try to add to our quality of life, not subtract from it.
Mike McFeely is a columnist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. He began working for The Forum in the 1980s while he was a student studying journalism at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He’s been with The Forum full time since 1990, minus a six-year hiatus when he hosted a local radio talk-show.